SDSU Civil Engineering Students Visit Future Aztec Stadium
On Saturday, September 18, professor Bruce Urquhart’s Surveying for Civil Engineers class (CIVE 218), along with professors Dr. Thais Alves and Brandon Farmer, went on a field trip to the new Aztec stadium construction site, hosted by Clark Construction Group. The tour was guided by Aztec alumni and Clark Project Executive, Matt Gerard, and his team of SDSU graduate construction engineers: Jose Muguerza '17 and Juan Perez '20.
Twenty-five students attended the field trip that began with an hour-long PowerPoint presentation describing the overall development of the 160-acre site, which will include the new stadium, a new portion of the San Diego River Park, and commercial and university developments. The class was able to see what has been accomplished on-site and to visualize what is still needed to meet the targeted opening date of September 2022.
The opportunity to visit an active construction site was an eye-opening experience for many. Some students commented that the experience gave them an opportunity to see what they could be doing as graduate engineers in the field. While the majority of students enjoyed their time on the project, one student in particular stated that he now knows exactly what he wants to do after graduation – to be a field engineer working for a construction company, and building projects to benefit the community. It is a ringing endorsement of the effect of having field trips for students in SDSU’s Civil, Construction and Environmental programs.
It was rewarding to see the students walk in the footsteps of SDSU engineering graduates, and to see their reactions to the field trip. The feedback of many students was very positive, and they appreciated the opportunity to visit an active project and see what is involved in building the new Aztec stadium. They also remarked that it was fulfilling to see former Aztec students who have taken on leadership roles in a successful construction company, and for some it reinforced the thought that working as a field civil engineer is a career goal well within their reach.
Clark Construction has always been amenable to having SDSU students come to their project sites and the philosophy of “paying it forward” was clearly evident during this field trip.
